Wilson Professor of Engineering | Iowa State University | United States
Prof. Kejin Wang’s research profile reflects extensive leadership across more than 70 funded projects advancing cutting-edge civil engineering materials, particularly cementitious and concrete technologies, with a strong emphasis on performance, durability, and sustainability. Her work spans cement and concrete chemistry, microstructure evolution, hydration processes, and rheological behavior, contributing to improved understanding of workability, thixotropy, and long-term performance in diverse environmental conditions. She has conducted major investigations into concrete durability, focusing on freezing–thawing resistance, alkali–silica reaction mitigation, and reinforcement corrosion control, while pioneering advancements in sustainable concrete through alternative cements, biochar integration, solid-waste incorporation, carbonation curing, and carbon-sequestration pathways. Her expertise extends to high-performance and advanced concretes, including ultra-high-performance systems, self-healing materials, phase-change materials, and pervious concrete technologies. Additional contributions include innovative work in 3D printing concrete, particularly mix design and performance characterization, as well as significant studies on nanomaterial applications such as nano-silica, nano-clay, and nano-limestone for microstructure refinement and property enhancement. Her ongoing research portfolio features projects on UHPC-based 3D printing, LC3 concrete systems, multi-waste concrete formulations, biochar cement development, performance of concrete overlays, hydration heat prediction in mass concrete, internal curing of high-performance mixes, and vacuum mixing effects in UHPC. She has published more than 240 peer-reviewed journal papers, edited seven books and conference proceedings, guided 52 graduate students and 26 post-doctoral or visiting scholars, and delivered invited lectures globally. Her service includes editorial leadership for leading journals, participation on numerous international technical committees, and involvement in proposal review panels, dissertation evaluations, and major engineering events. Collectively, her research experience, project leadership, and technical expertise demonstrate a comprehensive and sustained contribution to the advancement of innovative, durable, and sustainable concrete technologies.
Publications:
Wang, K., Jansen, D. C., Shah, S. P., & Karr, A. F. (1997). Permeability study of cracked concrete. Cement and Concrete Research, 27(3), 381–393.
Zhang, P., Zheng, Y., Wang, K., & Zhang, J. (2018). A review on properties of fresh and hardened geopolymer mortar. Composites Part B: Engineering, 152, 79–95.
Wang, X., Li, W., Luo, Z., Wang, K., & Shah, S. P. (2022). A critical review on phase change materials (PCM) for sustainable and energy-efficient building: Design, characteristic, performance and application. Energy and Buildings, 260, 111923.
Schaefer, V. R., & Wang, K. (2006). Mix design development for pervious concrete in cold weather climates. Iowa Department of Transportation, Highway Division.
Hou, P., Kawashima, S., Wang, K., Corr, D. J., Qian, J., & Shah, S. P. (2013). Effects of colloidal nanosilica on rheological and mechanical properties of fly ash–cement mortar. Cement and Concrete Composites, 35(1), 12–22.